Clutch for winding-engines or other machines.



W. F. SMEETH.

CLUTCH FOR WINDING ENGINES OR OTHER MACHINES. APPLICATION man 020.30.1914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

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CLUTCH F011- WIN'DING-ENGINES 0R OTHER MACHINES.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

it known that 1, WILLIAM FREDERICK Strnnrrr, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing 'at Bangalur, India, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in or Relating to Clutches for Winding-Enginesor other Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in clutches, and it isespecially ap plicable to winding or hoisting engines employing anengine or driving shaft and cable winding drums, one of which is fixedto said shaft and the other coupled thereto by a clutch, the clutchproviding means for relatively adjusting the two drums rotatably on theshaft to enable the 'cages suspended by the cables of the respectivedrums to be properly positioned at the desired levels.

The well known multiple-tooth or claw clutch is probably as good a formof connection as dan be obtained between the loose drum and the engineshaft as far as security and safety in working is concerned. It has thedisadvantage that in changing levels the cage cannot as a rule be setaccurately at the required level owing to rotation of the drum or shaftnecessary to engage the teeth of the clutch. For example, in using aclutch of the ordinary type, with a 16 feet drum and a. clutch with 7teeth, the minimum adjustment that can be made between the loose andfixed drums is 1/7th of a revolution, which means about 7 feet movementof the rope or cage,

level the cage may be as much as half the above distance-or 81}feetabove or below the required point. This error decreases inproportion to the number of teeth employed by the clutch j, but as theteeth must be large and strong for heavy work the error is alwaysconsiderable and causes much inconvenience. For instance with a 16 feetdrum if the clutch has 7 teeth the maximum error amounts to 42 inches;13 teeth, the maximum error amounts to 22.6 inches 17 teeth, the maximumerror amounts to 17.3 inches, and soon.

The new differential arrangement herein described reduces this error toa practically unimportant amount without interfering in the least withthe strength and security of the clutch and without any materialcomplication or difficulty of operation.

specification of Letters Patent.

and in re-clutching at a given Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed December 30. 1914. Serial No. 879,780.

The principles governing the new device are;(l) That the driving memberof the clutch itself shall be capable of rotation on the engine shaftand engaged therewith in a number of different positions instead ofbeing always in one position as in existing clutches. (2) That thenumberof teeth. in the clutch shall not be a multipleof the number ofpositions into which the driving member of the clutch can be rotated,the most advantageous arrangement being that the number of teeth shallbe equal to a multiple of the number of positions plus or minus 1. Forexample, if the driving member of theclutch can be rotated into 6positions on the shaft (and secured at each position) the number ofteeth should be 5 or 7; 11 or 18; 17 or 19; and so on according to theError with ordi Error with differ- No. of teeth. nary arrangeentialarrangement. ment.

42 inches. 7 inches. 22.6 3.77 17.3 2.9 11.7 1.9

' size of teeth required. The result of this is I that a maximum errorof some 2 inches in the. position of the cage'is practicallyunimportant. Y

The differential movement can be easily secured in the following ways,reference being had to the annexed drawings in which Figure 1 is asectional elevation showing a toothed clutch member 1 of 7 teeth on acircular shaft or driving element 2. 3 is the clutch plate or memberattached to the loose drum 'or driven element (not shown). Fig.

2 is a sectionalelevation showing a toothed clutch .in which the drivingclutch member isslidable on a hexagonal portion of the driving shaft,and a hexagonal sleeve rotatable on said shaft. Figs. 3 and 4 are faceviews of the contact surfaces of the clutch plate and driving members ofthe clutch re spectively. Fig. is a sectional view showing a drivingclutch member of modified form. Fig. 6 represents a transverse sectionthrough the shaft and the rotatable exteriorly hexagonal sleeve of Fig.2. Figs. 7 and'8 represent half sections taken axially showing twofurther embodiments of the invention. Figs. 9 and represent end views.

of the constructions shown in Figs. 7 and 8, respectively.

The driving clutch member 1 is held in position by keys 1 and has 6 keyways 5 as shown inFig. 1. There may be 1, 2 or 3 or more keys orfeathers.

Sufficient" room is left on the shaft 2 to slide the driving clutchmember back clear of the teeth 6. from. the holes 6 and also clear ofthe keys 4-, the driving clutch member 1 can then be rotated on theshaft 2: and put-back in any of six positions.

In using the ordinary type of clutch hav- V ing 7 teeth, arelativerotation of 1/7th of just-ment may be secured between the driv-,

a revolution is the minimum adjustment obtainable between the"driv in gand driven clutch members. According to the present invention, however,the driving clutch member is capable of being connected in any one of aplurality of driving positions on the driving shaft, and as this drivingclutch member may be connected to the driving shaft in any one of sixdriving positions, it

is obvious thatthe two adjustments provided enable the driven element tobe connected to the driving shaft in any one of 42 different positions,which means that a relative adportion on to the circular part of theshaft and then rotated but this would not be a very good arrangement asit would mean the-rotation of a hexagon on a circle. I then-fore providethe. following arrangement. 8 isthe solid hexagonal part of the shaft 2on which the clutch 1 slides. Immediately 'to the right the shaft isturned down slightly, a collar 9 being left on, or may be put onafterward; Between 8 and 9 the shaft is covered with a sleeve 7 ofsteel,

brass, gunmetal or other suitable metal which has acylindrical borefitting the shaft 2 and is hexagonal on the outside so as to fit; theclutchm A rear view of the clutch, with the sleeve 7 and the shaft 2 insection, is shown in Fig.6.

When the clutch is fully engaged the end of its boss overlaps the sleeve7 by say a. couple of inches. When the clutch has to be rotated it isslid back off 8 completely on to the sleeves 7 where it (and the sleeve)can be rotated on the shaft. After the proper rotation the facesof 8 and7 are brought parallel and the clutch again slidon to 8.

Fig. 5' shows another arrangement in which the boss of the drivingclutch member 1 bears on a circular part of the shaft at 10 while therim portion 11 of the clutch 1 rides onto rollers at 12 as the clutchmember comes, oft the hexagonal part of the shaft. Thedriving clutchmember is moved to and fro along the shaft by a rocking lever (notshown) acting on the slip ring 19 this device being'applicable also tothe other ar rangements shown. All of these arrangements mean that theclutch has to slide back some 18" or 2 feet in order to clear the keysor the hexagonal boss. Also the'keys are a relatively weak part andliable to wearloose.

The following arrangement gets over these defects and is mechanicallybetter see Figs. 7 and 8. A heavy sleeve 13 is shrunk on to the shaft,the end of the sleeve carries large heavy teeth 14: which fit or meshwith internal teeth 15 on the clutch 1. In order to rotate the drivingclutch memher it is only necessary to slide it back far enough to clearthe internal teeth 15 from the teeth 14. The number of internal teethcan be more than six and the fineness of the differential adjustmentproportionately increased.

Fi 7, 8 9 and 10 show the arrangement for a clutch having 15 externaland 8 internal teeth which for a 16 feet drum permits a movement of therope of 4 inches or a maximum error in the position of the cage of 2.15inches. If there are 25 external teeth these figures will be reduced to2.91. and 1.47 inches respectively.

Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 show a clutch with open teeth and Fig. 8 and Fig. 10show a clutch with shrouded teeth. The latter is probably the strongerarrangement and permits of the projecting teeth on the clutch plate 3being made somewhat wider while the teeth of the clutch member 1 arecorrespondingly reduced in size.

The clutch is provided ing bolts 16 sliding on the back of the clutchwith spring lockmember 1, when the clutch 1 is fully en-.

gaged 16 drops into a groove 17 in the sleeve.

To change levels the bolts 16 are raised and the clutch member 1 slidback 6-} inches when the bolts drop into groove 18. After the necessaryrotation of the engine required for the change of level. it may benecessary to rutate the clutch member 1 to permit of re'e'ngagement withthe minimum error; if sothe bolts 16 are raised and the clutch slid backto the position shown in Figs. 7 or 8. A very slight movement of theengine will then cause the teeth to reengage and the bolts 16 will dropinto the groove 17 and lock the clutch. 4

The teeth on the sleeve 13 are about 8 long so that a movement of some 9is sufiicient to completely free the clutch member onthe shaft andpermit of its rotation.

In the drawings the projecting teeth are shown on the clutch plate 3 andthe open teeth on the clutch member 1 itself which is the reverse of theusual practice; the object of this is that when the projecting teethwear and develop a certain amount of play, thin liners or strips ofsteel can be placed around the clutch teeth and buckled at the back ofthe plate thustaking up wear and reducing rattling or jarring to aminimum. It is claimed that this clutch has the advantages of a safe andreliable connection between the engine and the loose drum which isaiforded by a large number of large strong teeth while at the same timethe error ,in reengaging is reduced to practically negligible amount.For convenience of fixing, both clutch and sleeve may be made, inhalves.

I declare that what I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1s:-

1. In clutches for' winding engines, the combination of driving anddriven elements,

' toothed clutch members cooperative with the respective elements andrelatively movabl ina direction toward or from one another to engage anddisengage them, and means between one of the clutch members and itsrespective element for connecting such clutch member in differentpositions of rotation relatively to said element.

2. In clutches for winding engines, the

combination of driving and driven elements,-

toothed clutch members coliperative with the respective elements andmovable relatively toward and from one another, said .clutch membersbeing capable of engagement in a plurality of .positions ofrelative'rotation,

and means for connecting one of said clutch members to its respectiveelement in a number of positions which is not a multiple of the numberof positions of engagement of the clutch members.

3. In clutches for winding engines, the

combination of driving and driven elements,

a clutch member connected to one of said elements, and a cooperativeclutchmember on the other element shiftable to connect and disconnect itrelatively thereto and to the clutch member first mentioned and alsoca-- pable of being rotated and engaged in different relationsrelatively to the element carrying it and to the clutch member firstmentioned.

4. In clutches for winding engines, the

combination of driving and driven elements,

a toothed clutch member connected to one of said elements, and acooperating toothed clutch member shiftable relatively to they positionsof relative rotation and relatively movable toward and from one anotherto engagea'nd disengage one another and a connection between one of theclutc members and its respective element whereby said clutch member maybe connected in a plurality of positions of relative rotation on saidelement, said connection being disengaged by relative separation of theclutch members.

6. In clutches of the character described, the combintaion of a drivingshaft, an element to be driven thereby, a toothed clutch memberconnected to said element, a co-' operating toothed clutch membermovable axially of said shaft to engage and disengage the clutch memberfirst mentioned, and means on said shaft for connecting said movablemember thereto when suph clutch member is engaged with the clutch memberfirst mentioned and permitting rotation of the movable clutch member onsaid shaft when said movable clutch. member is disengaged' from theclutch member first mentioned.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WI LLLAM FREDERICK SMEETH Witnesses.

A. R. Cox, K. SUBBNIAN.

